If anyone's music is comparative to poetry, it would be the music of Stephen Sondheim. He is, in my opinion, the greatest composer and lyricist of our generation (I know, big intro). I cannot put into words how meaningful his music is. The song I will be arguing for is called "Being Alive", and it is from the show Company (lyrics here). It was hard for me to pick just one song out of the huge number of amazingly beautiful songs Sondheim has written, but this is one I definitely feel has a poetic sense about it, more so even than some of his others. This song is not from an album, it's from a musical about a man named Bobby (or Robert) and his views and encounters with his relationships as well as the relationships of his friends. This is the last song in the show (save the finale number).
The theme of this song, to put it simply, is that relationships between people are the reason we stay alive. We need someone outside of our own loneliness, to give us a sense of purpose, and to love us. I think one of the most important points in this song, is the shift between Bobby being cynical about marriage, into his longing for it, revealing his need for companionship outside himself. The song begins with his chorus of friends, singing this:
Bobby...Bobby...Bobby baby.../
Bobby bubbi...Robby...Robert darling.../
Bobby, we've been trying to call you./
Bobby...Bobby...Bobby baby...Bobby bubbi.../
Angel, I've got something to tell you./
Etc. Etc. They do this at the very beginning of the show as well, and it essentially is a mob of people all singing to Bobby about their lack of communication with him, because he's isolated himself while they've all gone to settle down. They are all close, you can tell by the use of all the different nicknames like darling, angel, Bobby baby, and so on. But what's interesting is the way they are all talking at him rather than to him. It's less about them having a conversation, and at this point it's as if they're in his head. He hears this chorus of his friends yelling at him until he says:
This is his break. The moment when he stops the chorus of voices in his head and actually begins to think through. When he says "what do you get?" he is both asking and saying. He is telling them that marriage is not what he wants, while also asking what the good of it is. He goes on to sing about finding someone, but in a sarcastic, cynical kind of way. This is when the song really starts getting a poetic feel about it.
The placement of the word "too" is very interesting here. If you were to take it out, you would have "Someone to hold you close" and "Someone to hurt you deep" both of which are very different things, almost opposites, but both are seen as equally bad in Bobby's eyes. He is still afraid to commit at this point, and the song continues with interjections from his friends telling him there's more to it than that. All of the characters are speaking as themselves through the mind of Bobby, showing his inner thoughts as well as theirs.
Slowly, Bobby begins to realize just how much he does want this companionship, because having someone is what makes living worthwhile. We see this when the song shifts to him asking someone to need him, and hold him, and hurt him.
What's interesting here is the repeating of the phrase "Being alive" almost as if he's convincing himself even further of what he wants and needs. This continues for a little while, until my favorite line:
Alone is alone is so poignant. It's showing that no matter what, if you don't have anyone, you don't have anyone. And that will never change. On the other hand, being alone is not being alive. Until this point he hasn't said that. He's gone through saying the things that do make us alive, but now he's not only saying that, but he's saying that being alone will never let you be alive.
Stop!...What do you get?/
This is his break. The moment when he stops the chorus of voices in his head and actually begins to think through. When he says "what do you get?" he is both asking and saying. He is telling them that marriage is not what he wants, while also asking what the good of it is. He goes on to sing about finding someone, but in a sarcastic, cynical kind of way. This is when the song really starts getting a poetic feel about it.
Someone to hold you too close/
Someone to hurt you too deep/
Someone to sit in your chair/
To ruin your sleep./
The placement of the word "too" is very interesting here. If you were to take it out, you would have "Someone to hold you close" and "Someone to hurt you deep" both of which are very different things, almost opposites, but both are seen as equally bad in Bobby's eyes. He is still afraid to commit at this point, and the song continues with interjections from his friends telling him there's more to it than that. All of the characters are speaking as themselves through the mind of Bobby, showing his inner thoughts as well as theirs.
Hey, buddy, don't be afraid it won't be perfect./
The only thing to be afraid of really is that it won't be./
Slowly, Bobby begins to realize just how much he does want this companionship, because having someone is what makes living worthwhile. We see this when the song shifts to him asking someone to need him, and hold him, and hurt him.
Somebody, hold me too close/
Somebody, hurt me too deep/
Somebody, sit in my chair/
And ruin my sleep/
And make me aware/
Of being alive/
Being alive./
What's interesting here is the repeating of the phrase "Being alive" almost as if he's convincing himself even further of what he wants and needs. This continues for a little while, until my favorite line:
But alone is alone, not alive./
Alone is alone is so poignant. It's showing that no matter what, if you don't have anyone, you don't have anyone. And that will never change. On the other hand, being alone is not being alive. Until this point he hasn't said that. He's gone through saying the things that do make us alive, but now he's not only saying that, but he's saying that being alone will never let you be alive.
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